It’s a very rare occurrence for someone to captivate the energy of an entire dance floor of any venue, let alone at the Halcyon in San Francisco — enter Moon Boots.  Born Pete Dougherty, Moon Boots is best known for his signature production style which seamlessly combines flavors from multiple genres.  While he may be known for tunes that feature more day-party Tropical House vibes, he also produces groovy and masterfully layered songs that offer a deeper vibe that take his listeners on a sonic journey.  Taking a look at his most recent studio album which released earlier this year, aptly titled First Landing (2017), it is clear just how versatile he is as a producer.  Naturally it comes as no surprise that his ability to DJ is just as, if not even more so, versatile than his production.

From the second he got behind the decks at midnight, Moon Boots had the entire club anticipating the dance party that was sure to ensue.  With the crowd at his fingertips, we embarked on a journey that seemingly lasted all night as he played the club until closing (although he was only scheduled to play for 2 hours).  The result was absolute madness on the dance floor with people inching their way towards the booth to catch a glimpse of him in action.  This had no effect on him as he was so engaged with his performance I could barely tell if he knew what was going on around him.  Transition after transition brought crowd favorites from his discography, with the vocal-led track “I Want Your Attention” featuring Fiora being the crowd favorite (rightfully so).

There’s something to be said about the way he performed that night.  With the glitz and glamour that has come to be associated with electronic music and DJs in general, it was obvious that Moon Boots was having the most fun out of us all.  The focus was not on him but rather the music, as he made this clear with his stage presence.   Stepping into the limelight following a successful album release and accompanying tour, it’s astounding just how differently he handles stardom.  His approach is genuine and soulful, with music being the obvious focus (unlike your typical “celebrity” DJ).  While many other artists may choose to make their performance based on acting out a façade or the cliché cake-in-the-face spectacle (sorry Steve Aoki), it is truly refreshing and satisfying to see the biggest fan of the music be the one on center stage.  Please do yourself a favor and check out Moon Boots to catch a glimpse of what the future holds for electronic music, you’ll be sure not to miss him next time he plays in the Bay Area.

Written by Connor Tapley

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.